ballast needed for large jointed plugs?

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I just finshed testing an AC type plug a made and it swims great with no ballast weight . (just have to paint it now) I finally got the round preshaped wooden bodies I ordered that I have to lay out and cut and was wondering if ballast weight will be required since this one will have a lexan diving lip on it? Thanks-Jigmeister

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Round baits generally do not need ballast because they always sit in the water (with hooks attached) the right way. Flat sided baits on the other hand will want to lay on their side and as such require ballast.

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The baits I make need weight to get the speed I want out of them.I had to play around a lot to find out how much weight to add.What I do for my muskie baits is drill a 38" diameter hole in the belly of the bait about 34" deep.I take 38" brass rod and cut it up into different length pieces in 18" increments.Then I can test the baits too see how much weight is needed.I use electrical tape to hold the weight in while testing.I keep adding weight until the bait runs at the speed I want.

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Lunge,my baits are like mini Parrywinkles(shad shape) 7" long.My shallow divers with a steep lip angle are the ones that need more weight.They are pretty erratic and wander a bit.The deep divers that run straight and stable need very little weight,but those one dont catch fish like the erratic ones that are on the edge of blowing out.

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Jim, I first started out by making the lip angles at 35 deg. and increased 10 deg. all the way up 65deg. to see what I like best.65 is a pain,hard to keep right side up,and 55 deg. is the most erratic,and the ones the fish like the most,but those can be tempermental too.At 45 deg. or less I dont get the "wander" action,they just come in straight.Still trying to get that perfect action.I want a bait that runs 2 feet down,will wander 1 foot off center and will run 5mph+,oh ya and I want a tight wiggle too.Thats what I want for Christmas! I may not be able to do that with this body style?